The ridges in the Salmon–Huckleberry Wilderness belong to the Western Cascades (Old Cascades), a broad volcanic mountain range that erupted 10 million years before the High Cascades. Devils Peak and Salmon Butte are likely remnants of once-tall volcanoes, but have been reduced to ridges by the millennia of ice and water erosion. The wilderness contains several U-shaped valleys formed by glacial activity.[2]
The drainages of the South Fork Salmon River and Eagle Creek are found in the Salmon–Huckleberry Wilderness, and volcanic plugs, pinnacles, and cliffs distinguish the area's sharply dissected ridges.[1] Much of the water in the area runs off Huckleberry Mountain in the northern portion of the Wilderness. To the south is Salmon Butte, a 4,877-foot (1,487 m) butte that can be hiked via a trail to the top.[1]
Popular recreational activities in the Salmon–Huckleberry Wilderness include hiking, camping, cross-country skiing, berry-picking, and wildlife watching. There are several primitive campsites and relatively popular trails in the wilderness, including the Salmon River Trail, which follows the Salmon River beyond the wilderness boundary.[2]